STATE HOUSE-37th DISTRICT: White, New competing to the wire

Pair vying for newly created House seat

Oct. 3, 2012

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Dawn White: Republican candidate 37th House District Age: 36 Address: Riverview Drive, Murfreesboro Education: Riverdale High School Class of '94: bachelor's degrees in Early Childhood Education, master's of education in Curriculum and Instruction, and education specialist in Administration and Supervision degrees from MTSU Employment: Murfreesboro City Schools; RMM Enterprises Political experience: President of MTSU College Republicans, vice chair of Rutherford County Young Republicans; worked in numerous political campaigns for conservative candidates since college Family: Husband, Chad Community involvement: CASA of Rutherford County, the MTMC Ambassadors, Linebaugh Library Foundation, Read to Succeed and the Sam Davis Memorial Association Robert “Bob” New: Democratic candidate 37th House District Age: 66 Address: Creighton Road, Smyrna Education: Indian River Central School, Philadelphia, N.Y.; Jefferson Community College, New York Political experience: Clerk for Smyrna City Court; ran for Rutherford County Commission in 2002 and 2010 Family: Wife Linda, four adult children Community involvement: Red Cross CPR instructor, licensed pilot

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MURFREESBORO — Democratic House candidate Robert “Bob” New knows he’s been out-funded by Republican Dawn White in their race for the new 37th House seat in Rutherford County, but he’s forging ahead anyway.

“We’re working. We’re not conceding anything,” New said, adding he believes he has enough money to run a good campaign but needs more volunteers to go to work for him.

Though she out-raised New $29,800 to $4,400 during the second quarter, according to information filed with the state Registry of Election Finance, White said she isn’t taking anything for granted.

“I am continuing to attend as many community events as I can and am knocking on doors to meet as many residents of the district as I can possibly meet,” White said.

Jobs and education are the main campaign platform for New and White, who steamrolled Smyrna resident Richard Garvin in the Republican primary. But they have very different outlooks on both issues, in addition to health care.

A veteran home health nurse, New, a 66-year-old Smyrna resident, supports the federal Affordable Care Act and points out that people across the state, including the poor, need to be insured.

“When people have insurance, it’s good for the health-care business,” he said. “The chances of you getting paid go up.”

New contends he has “the interests of the working man and women at heart,” and he described a trip this week to Gainesboro in Jackson County where he treated a patient at the lower end of the economic scale.

He accused Republicans of trying to eliminate or scale back programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps that poor people need to survive.

“They want to abandon poor people and take away their safety net,” New said, contending without those types of government programs the Great Recession would have turned into another Great Depression.

White, 36, a former Murfreesboro City Schools teacher who owns an online vacuum cleaner parts company, said she believes the Affordable Care Act will have a “chilling effect” on businesses across the nation and stop small businesses from expanding. She favors free-market solutions such as purchasing insurance across state lines and promotion of competition.

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“Obamacare will also cost Tennessee hundreds of millions of dollars,” she said. “It is extremely important that we elect a new president and members of Congress who are committed to repealing Obamacare. As a state representative, I will also fight the implementation of Obamacare in Tennessee.”

At the same time, White said she will represent all residents in the new 37th District, which stretches from La Vergne through Smyrna to downtown Murfreesboro.

“As state representative, my highest priority will be to make Tennessee the best possible environment for new businesses to locate and for existing businesses to thrive,” she said.

In education, New said he opposes a recent move by the Tennessee Department of Education to take some $3 million in funding from the Metro Nashville school system because its school board rejected a charter application filed by Great Hearts. Philosophically, he opposes charter schools and vouchers for students to attend private schools.

“It’s taking money away from public education,” New said. “I think public education can be fixed. You’ve got to have the will to do it.”

White, on the other hand, said it is her understanding that the Metro Nashville School Board violated state law by turning down the Great Hearts charter application and had been warned about the consequences.

As a former teacher, White said she would focus on education reform and helping teachers and parents improve schools.

“One promising component of education reform is the school choice initiative,” she said. “We need to empower parents and teachers to meet the needs of our children and to consider common-senses, conservative solutions. If adding choice and competition into the mix can improve our education system, then I am for it.”

While Republicans tend to blame teachers for shortcomings in public education, New believes more emphasis should be placed on involving parents.

“If a student goes to school every day and pays attention, they will get an education,” he said.

New is also a proponent of technical and vocational education and points out that not all students are cut out to attend four-year institutions.

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On taxes and regulation, he notes that a recent study showed Tennessee is the third-poorest state in the nation, yet Gov. Bill Haslam wants to continue cutting taxes and regulations. Conversely, wealthier states such as Maryland and New Jersey have higher taxes and more regulations.

“There isn’t a correlation between the two,” he said.

White’s contributions included $7,000 from a political action committee called Leaders of Tennessee, which is trying to increase Republican numbers in the General Assembly and promote a “constitutional conservative agenda,” according to its website.

Asked about the contribution, White said she favors “smaller, smarter government that reduces waste.”

“The Leaders of Tennessee PAC supports smart, sound fiscal policy, including tax policies that support business growth, which will positively impact our economy,” she said. “Additionally, the Leaders of Tennessee PAC supports education reforms that will make Tennessee students more prepared to enter the workforce, to be competitive, and to be successful.”